Type-bar operating mechanism.



QVi hwpau Y B. B. CRAM. TYPE BAR OPERATING MECHANISM.

APPLICATION mun an. 11, 1904.

Patented Apr. 11, 191] 3 SHBETS- SHILET 1.

' Fig.1.

/7 MET 1:.

M/F dw attoznup E. B. GRAM. TYPE BAR OPERATING MECHANISM.

APPLIOATIOK FILED JAN. 11, 1904.

Patented Apr. 11, 1911 3 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

- E. B; CRAM. TYPE BAR OPERATING MECHANISM.

AY PLIOATIOX TILED JAN. 1!, I994.

Patented Apr. 11, 1911.

3 BHEET8BKEET 3.

, o o o o 0 O00 O0 0 o o oodo 0 0 UNITED-STATES PATENT OFFICE.

EDWIN B. CRAH. OEBROOKLYN, KEW YORK, AESIGNOB TO NEW YORK ADDING TYPE- WH'IEB COMPANY, OF ORANGE, NEW JERSEY, A CORYORATION OF MISSOURI.

' TYPE-BAR-OY ERATING KECKAHIBH.

To all :whom. it may concern: I

Be itlmown that'l, EDWIN B. CRAM, a

citizen of the United States, residing at Brooklyn, Kings county, State of New York, have invented certain new and usefill Improvements in Tvpe-Bar-Operuting 'Mechanism, of whichthe following is a specification.

This invention relates to improvements in mechanism for operating the type-bars of typewriting machines, the object of the invention being to reduce binding and torsional strain on the type-bar and its operating devices. 4

The invention will be fully described hereinafter, reference being bad to the accompanying drawings in which is a erspecti're view of a connecting bar,

detae ed; and Fig. 7 is a plan view of a hanger-securing cap-plate.

The machine frame A is suitably constructed to support upper and lower are plates 276 and .295 upon which is mounted the typewriter mechanism, and also a paper carriage (notshown) carrying the usual cylindrical platen P. The typewrit-ing mechanism comprises'a plurality of typeh'ars 392 arranged in suitable relation to the platen P, each bar being hung in a hanger O secured to the lower arc-plate, and operatively connected to a vertically movable key bar 271 which is connected with a numeral key l or a lettered key according as the type-bar to which it. is connected bears a numeral or a letter type. The type-bars have the usual type heads and are arranged in well known relation to the. platen the hangers being arranged about. the lower arc plate as shown in Fig. 1. Each ha nger consists of two simil r side plates322 which are connected toget er and spaced apart. bv rivets 288, each rivet having shoulders which bear against the inner surfaces of the plates and hold them the required distance apart to receive a-hub 320 of a type-bar without undue friction. A pivot pin 294 is prefer Specification of Letters Extent.

Application filed January 11, 1904. Serial No. 188,555.

Patented Apr. 1 1, 1o11-.

ably tightly fitted in the hub and its ends are tapered to have a working fit in tapered holes in the plates This hanger 18 not of my invention and I lay no claim thereto: To secure the hangers firmly imposition a cap-plate 321 is laid upon their tops and firmly secured to the areplate 295. Each type-bar is connected to one of the reciproeating bars 271 by mennsof a connecting rod .291 pivoted to the type-bar at 293 and to :1 lug 27'! upon the bar 271. The connecting rods 291 are U-sha ed ill-cross section and the lug 277 exten s'hetween the sides thereof and is pivoted thereto. At ea h end the back of the connecting bar is out away thereby forming forked ends to permit the type-bar 392 and connecting bar 291 to swing freely.

tion and at. a plurality of points as at the upper and lower ends, each works between a pair of guide rollers 273 having rectangular peripheral grooves into which the edges of the bar extend and these rollers are substantially alike at both ends of the bar. Each air of rollers is supported in a bracket havmg the sides 275 at right angles to the bot.- tom and each side has an open top recess 279 the opposing ends of which fOIl." bearings for the journals 274 of the rollers, and overhanging lips 314 prevent upward movement of the rollers. The parts are so formed and proportioned that when the rollers are inplace and engage the bar 271 the latter will have'a running fit between them and l e--guided thereby in its movement and the bar will hold the roller journals in place beneath the lips. The upper brackets are'se cured to the upper are plate 276 and the lower ones to the lower arc plate 295 and each bracket has a hole cut in its bottom for the passage oi 51 bar 271 and the arc plates are provided with holes for the same purpose. Euch lug 277 is formed by making from the center of the bar to its rear edge and erdeuding the metal bet-ween the cuts beyond the rear edge of the bar.

The radial distances from the guide bars 271 to the points of connection of the rods .291 to the type-bars 392 vary. and depend upon the positions of the type bar hangers, which hangers are notarranged in an arc ofa circle as are the guide bars 271. I have found that best results are obtained when Th e'bars 271 are of rectangular cross 'sec= two transverse cuts'iu the bar 271., extending this condition is met by 'arving the lengths of the lugs??? and maintaining the length of the connecting rods 291 uniform. This variation in length of lugs is shown clearly in Fig. 1. The points of connection of the ing the lugs 27? of ditl'erent lengths ..i-:.therthan varying the lengths of the connecting rods 2 is that if the latter plan was followed the extent of depression of the outer rows rf keys. in order to bring the type to printing position, would have to be considerably greater than the ektent of depression of the keys nearer the center of the key board. This would be objectionable to the operator and would also render it practically impossible to employ the mechanism in a ,i:nhinc(l typewriting and adding machine, for which the present invention is particularly adapted.

Referring to Fig. 7, it will be seen that the type bar hangers are'arranged on -a.

curved line formed hy the arcs of lthree'circles a'a, b-b, and c-c' havingthe centers (4, b, c, respectively, neithgr of said centers being coincident with the printing point indicated at 29. As stated above the guide bars 271 are arranged in the are of a circle and as the type bar hangers are not arranged on the arc of a circle it will be seen that the pivotal points of the type bars adjacent the ends of the series will be at greater distances from said guide bars 271 than will the corresponding points of the intermediate type bars. And, consequently,

as before stated, the distances between the points of connection of the rods 29]. with the type bars and the guide bars 271 will not be uniform throughout the series. In order that all of the connecting rods 29] may be of uniform length, the lugs 27? of the guide bars 271 toward the ends the series gradually increase in length as shown in Fig. 1.

Secured to the bars 271 are L-shapcd arms 300 which pass downwardly through guide slots 306 in a plate 304 secured to the lower arc plate, the rear edges of the arms engaging the bottoms of the slots. The arms then extend horizontally to the front of the machine where they support the stems of the keys I and 23-5.

hoard through which the stems pa s are longated lengthwise of the machine so as to u-ruut forward and backwardplay of the Preferably the key stems are round in Cross section. The holes in the key j stems, butthe sides of the holes bear against the stems laterally to guide the stem and prevent binding of the mechanism. To each arm is connected a lifting spring 310 which is also connected to the upper arc plat-e.

Inasmuch as the flat blades constituting the key bars are not upon the same vertical plane as that in which the type bars swing, but are each in a plane at an angle to that of the type bar, the lugs 27? of the key bars are bent; each to oneside at an angle to the pl ane of its key bar, as best illustrated in Figs. 1 and 3, so that the pivotal points 293, 233 I are parallel to each other in the same vertical plane and there is no tendency to destroy this parallelism. which would result in cansing friction and binding and interfere with the free action of the parts Inasmuch as any back thrust in the direction of the longitudinal line of each of the connecting bars 291, Fig. 3, is at an angle to the vertical plane of the key bar 271, there would be a tendency to twist the latter or swing it upon its longitudinal vertical center if means were not provided to prevent any such action, and such msxns consists of the upper and lower sets oignide rolls with grooves l coinciding with the shape of the flat; or angular key bar and which prevent any such twisting or turning of the body of the bar whatever its vertical plane. t

No claim is herein made to the particular construction of hanger and manner of connecting the type-bar thereto, which is herein illus rated, as the same is the invention of \V. H. Pike, J1'., and forms the subject-matter of Letters-Patent No. 813,364 dated Feb-. ,ruary 27, 1906.

\Vithout limiting myself to the precise details of construction illustrated and described, I claim:

1. The combination with a type bar, of a flat key bar set in a vertical plane at an angle to that of the type bar, an intermediate connecting rod, and upper and lower guide rolls for the key bar having grooves conforming to the form of said key bar for the purpose set forth.

E2. The combination with a type bar of a key bar angular in cross section set in a vertical plane at an angle to that of the type bar, an intermediate connecting rod, and upper and lower guide rolls for the key bar having grooves conforming to the form of said key bar for the purpose set forth.

3. The eon'ihination with the key bar of a typewriter, of upper and lower guides, a key and its stem, and an L-shaped arm, the vertical portion connected at one side to the key bar and extending below the. lower guides thereof, and the horizontal portion extended forward and connected with the lower end of the key stem.

4. In a typcwriting machine the c ahination of a plurality of key bars each having a sesame laterally projecting lug bent to one side, guides engaging each bar above and below the lug thereof. type harspivoted attheir lower ends, and connecting rods each pivoted at its lower end to one of the type bars and at its outer end to one of said lugs.

5. In a typewriting machine, the eomhiuatioh of a plurality of concentrically arranged key hars having lugs of different. lengths, a plurality of pivoted type bars having their pivots positioned at dillereut distances from the key bar and arranged to strike at a common point, and connecting rods of uniform length connecting the bars with said lugs on the key bars.

6. In a typewriting machine, the combination with the hey bar and connected key, of a bracket having parallel sides at right an- ,i i i 1 l I i I l l a i gle's to its bottom, each side having an open top recess with overhanging lips at each end of the recess, and a pair of grooved rollers having iournalsengaging the mds of the recesses below the over-hanging lips and between which rollers the bar is guided, substantially asdescrihed.

7. In a typewriting machine, the combination of a plurality of vertically movable key i \V. F. CARTER,

E. G. Laxenonxn. 

